Adams: First shot at postseason

Rangers reliever is looking forward to the playoff atmosphere

What I am looking forward to the most is the playoff atmosphere. This will be my first taste of it. I will be excited to get out there, see that full house and realize that there are 26 other clubs watching our game. It is going to be a great feeling to know that you are one of the top eight teams in baseball. I can't wait to experience that atmosphere first-hand.

When I get that call for the first time from the bullpen, I think I will be feeling a lot of emotions, including some nerves. I say that because there is going to be a lot of electricity in the air, and I will be thinking about what is really at stake. At the same time, I think it is going to be a whole lot of fun.

Usually you get tired toward the end of the season, but I think once the lights turn on for postseason baseball, all of that fatigue is going to go away. The adrenaline is going to kick in and help carry you through because you know this is what you play the game for. Your team plays for this sort of spotlight, and there is nothing else you can ask for.

When I got traded to Texas from San Diego, I knew this was a good possibility. Texas is also one of the destinations my family would talk about. We were all kind of hopeful that I might land here one day, and it has worked out. From here, going forward, hopefully, we can do some good things.

Texas for me is home, and I was a big Rangers fan as a kid. I have a lot of memories of the Rangers as a kid. One of those memories features being at the ballpark when Nolan Ryan was pitching, and there was a big bench-clearing brawl. It involved Steve Buschelli who got hit with the pitch. Coincidentally, Steve was with our team in our clubhouse a few weeks ago. I reminded him of it, and right away he knew what I was talking about. We joked around a little bit about it, and he told me how he was at the bottom of the pile, and when it was all over he was pretty beat up from the experience.

Walking into the Rangers clubhouse as a member of the team was a very different feeling for me. I sort of felt like a rookie again. You walk in not knowing too many people and, at the same time, you don't want to step on any toes and break up what they had going on here. You try your best at the very beginning to fit in. You do your best to try and go out there and just be a part of the big group that is here. After a week or so, I felt more comfortable, and it has been a bit of a smooth ride since. I have gotten to know the guys real well, and it is about creating great memories together.

One of the things that made things more comfortable for me right away with this team was that feeling that they wanted me. That is a great feeling. They traded for me, and I knew the situation that they were in as it relates to the standings and their goals. That really helps you and your confidence. I did bring a lot of confidence with me based off of what I have accomplished the last few years. And when I got here, it was really just trying to become part of the team. I wanted to justify their confidence in me and I, in all honesty, did not get off to the best start. But then I got my feet underneath me, and it has been great.

Looking back, I was probably putting too much pressure on myself. I probably tried a little too hard to get the job done, and sometimes when you try and do a little more than what you are used to doing that is not always a positive. In the beginning that was the case, but once I got a few good outings under my belt I got settled in, the confidence remained high, and I got comfortable. I was able to do what I do best.

Reliever Mike Adams has been rock-solid for the Rangerss this season, posting a 2.19 ERA in a setup role in 26 contests. For the year, the Texas native and veteran of nearly 300 career regular-season games has a 1.49 ERA over a career-high 74 contests for Texas and San Diego.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.